The News-Press of Fort Myers reports that the Lee County Sheriff’s Office determined an Uber driver put on a mask before assaulting the female passenger he just dropped off. Deputies responded to a call at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Sunday December, 4th, in reference to a reported sexual battery.
According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, the woman was walking to her door when Felix Manuel Torres of Fort Myers grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. Marceno said that Torres then covered the victim’s mouth before overpowering her. Torres proceeded to sexually assault the woman before taking her phone and fleeing.
The investigation led detectives to Torres after analyzing video surveillance of the area. When contacted by authorities at his residence, Torres confirmed he worked for Uber and that he drove the victim home that morning. Marceno said, “He seemed like he wanted to help. His tune changed when he was confronted with the video surveillance.”
Search warrants of Torres’ residence provided evidence confirming his involvement with the assault.
According to Marceno, “Lyft and all the other companies, they create their own policies and procedures … That’s not law enforcement … It’s not the County Sheriff’s Office. The one thing we want is, we want to make sure that our residents and people understand the risks when they get in a vehicle and they’re not the ones in control.”
Torres faces sexual battery charges and is due in court on January 9, 2023.
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